BANKING ANALYTICS

Ranking of the Azerbaijani banking sector (ranking includes the information component of the banking sector, the main events of the world economy, the analytical review of the main indices of the banks which are being ranked)

The meeting held in Sochi Aug.10 between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict marks a positive step towards the resuming of dialogue between the two countries, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjorn Jagland said.

"Following the latest armed incidents along the line of contact and the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border, this meeting marks a positive step towards the resuming of dialogue between the two countries," he said.

"I call on both sides to undertake all possible efforts to put an end to the escalation of violence which caused numerous victims in both countries in the recent days."

"I would also like to extend my deepest sympathies to the families of the victims. There should be no place for violence between member states parties to the ECHR which guarantees the right to life to all Europeans," Jagland added.

A trilateral meeting on the Nagorno-Karabakh with participation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan was held in President Putin's Sochi residence Bocharov Stream on August 10.

Armenian armed forces launched a diversion on the night of July 31-August 1, when reconnaissance and sabotage groups tried to cross the contact line of the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops through the territories of Aghdam and Terter regions.

Armenia's reconnaissance and sabotage group attacked the positions of Azerbaijani armed forces in the direction of Azerbaijan's Aghdam and Agdere regions on the night of August 1-2. Azerbaijan managed to locate the group and the sabotage attempt was prevented.

During the recent days, Azerbaijani positions have been constantly under attack, and 13 servicemen have been killed, several more were wounded. Armenian side suffered more losses while trying to hide this fact from the public.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.